I am tempted to ask who contributed, among others, to this Wikipedia entry...
I remember, from high school, a story about a friend of a friend who was slightly obsessed with trains and gathered a rather large number of train-related, possibly having PKP logo on them, collectibles; like spoons, armchairs, toilet tanks, baggage shelves etc. Once he went to the tailor and ordered the shorts made from the stolen compartment curtains.
I think, even if he was the thief, the whole story is fun. If it's true of course.
"As you have noticed over the years, we are not angry people." (itebygur)
I sure have not contributed to the article, if that is what you mean.
McCollum's big mistake is operating the equipment. Being in New York doesn't help anymore either though.
This story sounds a bit like me too. I have all kinds of trinkets train related. A railroad issue flashlight an engineer gave me (With Burlington Northern logo on it), a pair of Union Pacific work gloves (Actually have two pairs), my work jacket came from the division superintendent of the BNSF Railway Illinois Division (Longtime family friend, he got my name embroidered on it, was a Christmas present one year), is actual uniform shop item.
Pace stuff too. Golf pencils with the Pace logo from when they had passenger surveys, Pace ice scraper (Employee present at a Christmas dinner years ago), the list goes on like this.
Two complete supervisior uniforms too. For a while, when there was a spike in driver attacks, was on the road every day as a "Route Supervisor" (Transport Tycoon players might find this title familiar!). See, difference is, the police were very well aware of it. They figured that they know me, they know what I was doing was for the common good, the tense situation I step in and resolve is the emergency call they won't have to receive, so they played along, and left it be. Onetime there was a suspicious suitcase left on a bus. Me and four other drivers were standing together, police show up, one came up to me and said "You're the supervisor here, what's going on?" (He knew I wasn't, but knew I would know what is going on). We all still like to joke around about that one!
Without trains America Stops- Support Amtrak
Old trains never die. They just sit in ruin and wait until the day they are taken in by a skilled craftsman and rebuilt to their former glory.
Hmm, I only collected stamps, chewing gum pics and beer/cola cans, like everybody did, I never got myself into any weird or at least original collecting hobby.
We have a couple of clients though, who collect books compulsively. The problem is that it is sort of buying addiction, rather than collecting in true sense. They buy something everytime they visit us (and they visit us sometimes on daily basis) and they have such a large numbers of books that they literally sleep on them, having to put them under the bed. What's worse, it's no longer about reading these books, as they neither have time to read them, nor they need to, because they sometimes buy books which are simply different editions or they simply don't remember if they have the book, so they buy in just in case. I think it's similar to gambling addiction in some way as they are unable to stop, even if their financial situation is dire.
"As you have noticed over the years, we are not angry people." (itebygur)
I've heard of things like that. While we have lots, and I do mean lots of trains, we don't needlessly buy them. In fact, I've slowed up with buying a bit, preferring to focus on upgrading and improving the equipment we have.
There's a major difference between collecting, hoarding, and an addiction.
Without trains America Stops- Support Amtrak
Old trains never die. They just sit in ruin and wait until the day they are taken in by a skilled craftsman and rebuilt to their former glory.
Uh, I accidentally spoiled Scythe's goodbye message, posting at the same time. Sorry.
As for the link, reminds me of my recent "crime is cultural issue" topic. They steal maps for fun.
The changes are imminent. Recently, there was a debate in Poland, to raise the minimal value of the stolen object(s) from which the stealing is considered obligatory a crime from 250 zloty to 1000 zloty. It's a typical cultural change. Since people are getting wealthier, and also, due to cultural changes, they understand that possessions are not what brings happiness stealing sort of turns into sport.
I wonder how crime will look in 2050.
"As you have noticed over the years, we are not angry people." (itebygur)
Fun to read about about Mr. McCollum. I liked this part: After McCollum used an insanity defense based on Asperger's, he became a folk hero to people with Asperger diagnoses, especially children, celebrated for his "rebellion against what autistics often call the dreary world of the 'neurotypicals'". In spite of his diagnosis from several psychiatrists, at least two criminal proceedings this defense was denied as the judge ruled he was "capable of controlling his impulses"
Raillo, if you didn't get the diagnose Aspergers syndrome, how do you feel your life would have been different? I know it sounds like an interview question, but my sister just started as press administrator of an org concerning the family of people with different neurological diagnosis, and now we have quite a few talks about Aspergers, autism, ADD, ADHD etc since its a big part of my work, and even more so recently, where they closed down a lot of schools dedicated to aiding the kids and families (smaller classes, more teachers and caretakers, more emphasis on the individual than in public schools) and now a lot of these kids are thrown into a complete chaos (they feel) that is public school systems.
Recently everyone is being "diagnosed" with ADHD (or in the olden days Damp (translates to Steam)) and then we had a psychologist visit us who threw a book with neurological diagnosis' on the table and asked people to find ADHD or Damp and of course no one could find it since it doesn't exist. He thought people needed to direct their attention to the kids behaviour instead of his imaginary diagnosis. Gotta love people who do that!
I didn't read at 2 but I was quick to learn and always had a nack for language (I read french, all nordic languages (except soumifinnish and Icelandic yet) and speak Danish, Swedish, English and German)and writing (unless its unformal), so I know the whole library hang-around story too. I find a lot of joy and peace when reading, so thats why it feels so good when I can find time to do it. Loved writing short stories when I was a kid, and kept some of them around so that my kids can read them.
(And I got the whole Karass thing. Wonderful word! Didn't know it until now.)
Scythe, where are you off to? Greenland? (Jail?)
Oh, BTW - I had 3 days with this:
1239685_10201041737699477_1916437283_n.jpg
. I love having connections. Its the only Lenovo Horizon 27" table PC/Tablet in the country and I got permission to loan it for a few days, and use it at work (and at home with Anna and Tanja). GREAT FUN! Have to say bye-bye to it today with a massive computer/minecraft/Horizon day at work where all the kids (and I) have a blast! Gotta love my job on days like this!
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Currently testing Life version 2.9 (With added second child)
(Beta testing in progress)
In some ways, if were to have grown up without a known disability, childhood and formative years may have been better. But then, adulthood would not have worked out so well.
After being labeled as "Autistic" in 1990 (Aspergers was not recognized in the USA at that time), I found it made a difference, in that while my dad's feelings about me did not change in the slightest, my mother, who was a harsh person to begin with, was angrier and much more severe, like she felt I was defective. Looking back, she put me through many levels of hell, because in her mind I was no longer human.
So far as my peers, it made school slightly harder. I was, before this diagnosis, regarded as the class Einstein. The kid that might just know more than the teacher. I got made fun of, but when kids heard I had a disability, they were much more hurtful. Of course, being six-seven years old, some of it may just be lack of knowledge of any disability. This was the early 1990s, when there was also an AIDS scare going on and misinformation on all sorts of disabilities, illnesses and diseases were rampant.
On the plus side, some kids were more tolerant of my quirks. One girl, who I developed a crush on in 4th grade, was very understanding, the friend we all need growing up. One of her cousins has Autism, so she understood it more. Somehow, after finding out my disability, it started becoming where I had more girls for friends than boys. In first and second grade, this will get you regarded as a sissy (Funny enough, the opposite makes you more of a sissy in adulthood!).
So early childhood was different, where I experienced the world in a way most kids don't, and this different experience, I think, formed who I am, and my core values, which has served me very well in adulthood.
Being the outcast, the bully victim, the one who has no choice but to grit his teeth, bear down, and work extra hard to prove to the world he's not useless, molded me into someone who cannot and will not tolerate seeing others the way I was treated. Maria is a great example, of course, of how the values I learned through formative life experiences, have a very positive outcome.
But, I do also feel that nurturing someone with Autism/Aspergers through their focus of interest is a tremendous benefit to them. Mine being trains, this was not so hard. After all, the three previous generations, on my adoptive father's side, were all model railroad guys too. This ended up being something that brought my dad and I very close with him as a good role model growing up. As abusive as mom was, dad was the balance, the gentle, supportive father, who rarely punished me, because he didn't have to. He taught me very early on that I would be much happier and better off if, instead of goofing off, taking the "Easy route" and doing something dumb to make him mad, that I'd rather work hard and impress him. Even nowadays, dad and I do a lot together, and are still close.
Without trains America Stops- Support Amtrak
Old trains never die. They just sit in ruin and wait until the day they are taken in by a skilled craftsman and rebuilt to their former glory.
Been busy getting out of Illinois the past few days. The work has paid off. Illinois is now in the past. Now we can have a nice, normal, peaceful life.
Without trains America Stops- Support Amtrak
Old trains never die. They just sit in ruin and wait until the day they are taken in by a skilled craftsman and rebuilt to their former glory.
If it's true of course.
